KU Set to Open Spring Season at No. 40 Arkansas and No. 44 Tulsa

The University of Kansas tennis team will get its spring season underway this weekend when it hits the road to take on two of the nation’s top programs — No. 40 Arkansas and No. 44 Tulsa.

KU will face the Lady Razorbacks on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Fayetteville, Ark., and then will head to Tulsa to take on the Golden Hurricane at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The Jayhawks enter their spring campaign with high hopes after impressive showings at four fall tournaments and, most recently, at the Hawaii Spring Invitational two weekends ago. Freshman Magdalena Torarczyk, making her first appearance in a KU uniform, went a perfect 3-0 in singles play at the event, as did senior Stephanie Smith, who was playing for the first time this season after sitting out the fall with an ankle injury.

Pacing Kansas throughout its five preseason tournaments was junior Yuliana Svistun, who, after a 25-win season a year ago, has already picked 10 singles victories, the team’s highest total.

Senior Elizaveta Avdeeva and junior Edina Horvath, all All-Big 12 doubles selections last season, led KU with seven doubles wins during the preseason.

Arkansas, which will be the first of 11 KU opponents who are currently ranked in the FILA/ITA poll, is led by the nation’s No. 1 ranked singles player, Aurelija Miseviciute. The Lady Razorbacks also feature the No. 12 and No. 45 ranked doubles tandems. The ‘Backs are coming off a 7-0 win over Missouri and boast an overall record of 3-0.

Tulsa, an NCAA tournament team a year ago, enters its match with KU with a record of 5-1. The Golden Hurricane are the highest ranked team in Conference USA.

Kansas dropped matchups with both squads last season, falling 4-3 to Tulsa on Jan. 31 and 5-2 to Arkansas on Feb. 11.

Check back with kuathletics.com for complete results following each match.